Faults and Fears
by wallscollide
Summary: No one is perfect, and Callie's family helps her realize that she doesn't have to be.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey, everyone. Since today marks the halfway point of the hiatus, I thought I'd post a new story. Based on the press release for 3B, I'm really excited; 77 days! This is that second sickfic that was option 'A' when you all voted. I'm still working on more stuff and hopefully this helps me keep my writing mojo going. Enjoy.

The only thing I own is my idea for this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Thursday - 5:47 PM**

Callie entered the house as post-dinner clean up was happening. She went to the kitchen, setting her bag and keys on the island.

"Hey, Cal. Get stuck at work?" Stef wondered as she put a stack of plates away.

Callie was supposed to be off at five. "Yeah. I had to stay until Eddie could get there; car trouble." She went to the fridge for a bottle of water.

"There's a plate in the oven for you," Lena told her, putting on an oven mitt, retrieving it, and setting it down in front of her.

Callie picked up a fork and had a few bites of chicken and potatoes, mostly just pushing it around her plate.

"Not hungry?" Lena surmised, noticing the girl's obvious lack of appetite.

"I guess I don't feel so great," she admitted with a sigh, sliding the food away.

Lena reached to feel Callie's forehead with the back of her hand. "No fever." She looked over at Stef, slightly puzzled.

Callie had been feeling 'off' since she woke up that morning: her brain was foggy and she was unusually tired. "I think I'm just getting a cold. I'm gonna go do homework," she decided and took her things upstairs.

A couple of hours' worth of Algebra II and Chemistry was enough to make anyone's head hurt, but it made Callie's just-barely-there headache escalate to eleven. She put her materials away and got under the covers, glad to have had the foresight to change clothes when she got to her room. Surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly, snoring lightly as congestion began to set in.

Mariana returned home from Lexi's house around 8:30 because of a school project for English. She went upstairs to her room and saw Callie sleeping, deciding instead to stay out until bedtime so as not to disturb her. "Callie's sleeping, so I'm gonna finish my homework down here," Mariana told her moms who were in the living room watching TV. "Is she sick or something?"

"She's had a long day and isn't feeling so well, yes," Stef answered, standing. "I'm gonna go check on her."

Stef opened her daughters' bedroom door and found Callie snoring with her mouth open, rolled over facing her. She went over to her and briefly felt her forehead, agreeing with her wife that the girl didn't feel feverish. After placing a kiss on Callie's hair, Stef left her to rest.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Friday - 6:55 AM**

As soon as she woke up the next morning, Callie knew that her cold had erupted overnight. Her head throbbed, feeling as though it weighed a ton, her nose was completely blocked, yet running at the same time, and her throat was sore. She looked over at her nightstand and saw a box of Kleenex, not hesitating to pull one and blow her nose.

"Is that supposed to be a bugle call? Are we in military school?" Mariana asked, also awake.

"Haha, sorry."

"You sound like crap," Mariana informed her.

"I'm sure I look the part, too. I feel like ass," Callie admitted as she got out of bed.

Mariana sat up. "Should you even bother getting up? Moms are gonna make you stay home."

"I have a math test today." Callie went to her dresser to pick out some clothes.

Callie got dressed and ready for school and went downstairs to have breakfast.

"Good morning, Callie. How are you feeling?" Lena asked as she saw her come in to the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied, although it sounded more like _bordig_ because she was so congested.

"You sound awful, honey."

"So I've been told by Mariana," Callie said as Stef checked her temperature.

"Maybe a smidge warmer than last night."

"I don't think you should go to school today, sweetheart. I doubt you'll get much learning done and you don't want to spread this to everyone," Lena advised her as both her mom and vice principal.

"I have an Algebra II test in third period. I already studied."

Stef and Lena both looked at each other, silently communicating. _Should we let her go?_

"Is that the only major thing you have going on today?" Stef asked.

Callie nodded, grabbing a tissue from the box on the counter. "Yeah."

Lena sighed as Callie blew her nose. "Alright. You can go, but Mom's gonna take you home after. Meet us at the nurse's office at 10:30 and not a minute later, got it?"

"Okay, that's fair," Callie agreed and sat down to get some food.

Callie couldn't help but regret her decision to take the test when she had to keep wiping her nose and sniffling throughout the period, unable to fully concentrate on solving the equations in front of her. She didn't realize that it was irritating her classmates as well. She was relieved when she turned it in and headed to the nurse after the bell rang.

Stef, Lena, and Mrs. Andrasik, the school nurse, were waiting for Callie when she walked in.

"How'd your test go?" Stef wondered as Callie sat down on one of the cots.

She shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

"Hey, Callie. I'm gonna let you go home, I just have to follow procedure first, okay?" Mrs. Andrasik said as she grabbed the thermometer. "Under your tongue," she instructed as Callie opened her mouth and waited for the beep. "99.8. Elevated, but not significant. How do you feel?"

"Just crummy. Headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, tired."

Mrs. Andrasik examined Callie's throat as well. "Red and inflamed. Is anyone else sick at home?" She used an otoscope to look in Callie's ears.

"No," Lena answered.

"No signs of infection here. Just a cold, then. I hope you're back on Monday, Callie. Feel better." Mrs. Andrasik addressed Stef and Lena. "Keep her home with any temperature over 100.4. Rest, fluids, and all of that."

Callie grabbed her backpack and hugged Lena. "See you later, Mama."

Lena kissed the top of her head. "See you at home."

Callie left to go to the front desk and Stef signed her out. They walked to the squad car where Mike was waiting for them. "Hey, Callie. Sorry you're not feeling well."

She got in the backseat and buckled up. "Thanks, Mike."

Mike drove to the Adams Foster household and parked in the driveway. "Feel better, Callie."

"Thanks," she said as she left the car.

"You can hang out on the couch or go to bed, but you need to be resting," Stef told her, her voice firm. "There's NyQuil and meds in our bathroom if you want them."

"Alright."

"I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom." Callie went and unlocked the front door with her key and heard the car pull out once she closed and locked it behind her.

As promised, she went right upstairs and changed into some sweatpants and a shirt, choosing to forego medicine for now and climbed back into bed to sleep.

Callie woke up a couple of hours later; it was going on one o'clock. She still felt as crappy as she did before she fell asleep. Snapping out of her sleepy haze, she quickly grabbed a tissue and sneezed into it. " _Heh'chew!_ " She groaned and coughed, knowing that was only the first of many.

Callie got up and went to her moms' bathroom to see what medicine they had. She found the NyQuil, Tylenol, and some orange-flavored Alka-Seltzer tablets that were non-drowsy. She took two tablets to the kitchen and dropped them in a glass of water, watching them fizz and dissolve away as they turned the water a pale orange color. She took a sip and made a face at the awful taste, deciding to plug her nose and chug it. She coughed when she finished and refilled the glass, bringing it, a box of Kleenex, and a plastic bag with her to the living room couch.

Callie turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, settling on watching _Bizarre Foods America_ for awhile. When that was over, she turned on _Survivorman_. Her phone buzzed; it was a text from Wyatt:

 _Where'd you go after math? Did you disappear or something?_ She and Wyatt had English, Algebra II, and Economics together, the latter after lunch.

 _My moms only let me stay 'til 3rd period because of the test. They made me go home._

 _Oh, okay. I know I'd rather be home than here. lol_

 _I'll trade you. Ready for some germs? ;)_

 _On second thought…you can keep them. XD_

Callie laughed and set her phone down, turning the TV off and lying down. As soon as she got comfortable, she felt another sneeze brewing. " _Heh'chew! … Heht'CHEW!_ " She coughed and had some water before falling asleep again.

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you all think. There will be more soon. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I cannot thank you all enough for showing your interest in this. All of the reviews/favorites/follows/hits mean a lot.

Here's more. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Friday - 4:42 PM**

When Callie woke up in the living room, she realized that someone must have covered her with a throw blanket that now lay over top of her. She took it off and sat up, wiping her running nose with a fresh tissue. She took the box with her into the kitchen; Lena was at the stove cooking.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Dinner will be ready in ten. How are you feeling?"

Callie sat down at the table. "Crappy."

"Can I get you something? Some water?"

"I left my glass on the coffee table," Callie said, standing.

"No, no. You stay put. I'll get it." Lena handed her a full glass of ice water.

"Thanks." She drank a few sips and blew her nose, feeling her skin become irritated as she continued to use tissues.

After a few minutes, the rest of the kids filed in as Lena was putting the food out, enchilada casserole and spicy corn salad. "Mom will be here with your dinner, Callie."

They all sat down and ate as Stef walked in, home from work.

"Hey, everybody." She went to kiss Lena. "How are you feeling, sweets?" she asked Callie.

"Like a snuffleapugus on Alka-Seltzer," she replied dryly.

Stef kissed the top of her head. "I picked up some chicken soup for you from the deli, how's that sound?" She went to the counter and pulled a plastic quart container out of the paper bag, ladling some of it into a bowl and giving it to her before putting the rest away in the fridge.

"Thanks, Mom." She couldn't taste it, but the warm broth felt good on her throat.

"Sure thing." Stef sat down and served herself some food, listening in on the conversations that were taking place.

"Did you guys hear about the fight between Axel and Tim during 5A lunch? It was gnarly," Jesus said as he took a bite of casserole.

"Was there blood?" Brandon wondered.

"Guys! We're eating dinner!" Lena exclaimed.

"Axel had a black eye and a split lip; Tim's nose was busted. It took like, four teachers to break it up. It was awesome."

"Jesus, can it," Stef warned, "or you're gonna be seeing stars in a minute."

"Man, I miss everything good," Mariana pouted slightly.

Callie chuckled. "Me, too." She was careful to not cough on anything except the inside of her napkin.

"Violence is never 'good,' you guys."

"Mama's right. If you see any fighting, go get an adult to diffuse the situation."

"After I've been thoroughly entertained, sure," Jesus smirked.

Stef just sighed and shook her head.

"Alright, so what's on the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Piano at one, like always," Brandon said.

"Social Studies tutor at the library at three," Jude added.

Lena nodded. "Right."

"I have work. 11 to 6," Callie told them, sniffling.

"We'll see how you feel in the morning before we decide if you're going anywhere," Stef replied, receiving a look of confirmation from her wife.

"Lexi and I were planning to go to the mall. Can we have a ride?" Mariana asked, buzzing.

"Sure," Stef answered. "I'll drop you guys off when I take Brandon to practice."

Mariana grinned. "Sweet."

"This is really good—" Brandon started to say, but was suddenly interrupted.

" _H'shhh! ... H'shhh'uh!_ " Callie sneezed, rotating herself away from Stef, Jude, and the table. She felt the heat of embarrassment on her cheeks as everyone blessed her and she wiped her nose on her now soiled napkin. Mariana, in particular, looked grossed out by her actions. If she had a genie, she would have wished for the ground to swallow her whole.

"Don't stifle those," Stef softly admonished her, handing over a couple of Kleenex.

Callie took them and stood to throw away the napkin. She then went into the bathroom to blow her nose and wash her hands. She returned to the table and finished her soup, looking up at her moms. "May I be excused?"

"Sure, hon," Lena said.

Callie retrieved her phone from the coffee table and went upstairs to her room. She set the box of Kleenex in her lap and noticed a stack of textbooks with a paper on her bedside table. She reached to pick the sheet up and realized it was make-up work for the classes she'd missed. She groaned at the assignments listed: US Government chapter summary write-up and a paragraph each on three things learned, French vocabulary and workbook exercises, Economics chapter questions, and two sections of Chemistry workbook exercises, all on top of reading three chapters of _The Catcher in the Rye_ for English.

She set the paper down and flopped down on her pillows, coughing. Sighing, she decided to get done what she could before her brain quit on her. She pulled out her French materials and a pencil.

Mariana came in after dinner to get started on her own homework.

"Callie?"

"What?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what?" The fog of fatigue and congestion was getting to her.

Mariana rolled her eyes. "I said: at least when you're sick, Moms don't make you help clean up."

"Oh, yeah, I'm loving this. Can't you tell?" Callie shot back, obviously kidding. "It's Friday night. What are you doing home? I'm sick, so I have an excuse. Where's Mat?"

"He's out of town with his parents visiting his aunt."

"Nothing else socially fulfilling came up?"

"I'm sure there's a party going on somewhere. I just don't really feel like going out."

"That's probably smart, considering what happened last time—"

"Hey! That was _one time!_ And Moms' talk the next morning has made me practically swear off drinking for life."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Mariana just laughed and continued with her work.

The two of them were still busy with their respective assignments when Lena knocked on their door. "Hey, girls. Busy with homework, I see. What are you reading, Callie?"

She looked up from her book. " _The Catcher in the Rye_ for Timothy's class."

"Cool. Do you like Holden Caufield?"

"He's okay, I guess. We just started it." She coughed into the crook of her elbow.

"Take it easy and don't work too hard, okay? Try to get to bed early tonight."

"Sure," Callie replied simply and went back to reading.

After also finishing Economics, Callie was completely wiped out by 8, so she went to her moms' bathroom for some more medicine before going to sleep. She picked up the bottle of cherry NyQuil and heard approaching footsteps.

"Hey, Cal," Stef greeted her, leaned against the door frame.

"Hey. I'm just taking some of this and going to bed."

Stef felt her forehead. "You look exhausted."

Callie turned away from her to sneeze. " _Heh'shuh! ... Heht'shuh! ... H'SHUH!_ " She kept her nose and mouth covered as she coughed.

"Bless you, my love." Stef poured Callie some NyQuil while she blew her nose and washed her hands. She swallowed the liquid from the dosage cup. "'Night, Mom."

Stef pulled her in for a hug and kissed her temple. "Good night, baby."

Callie got in bed and kept the tissues close by as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** I can't take credit for the " _Like a snuffleapugus on Alka-Seltzer_ " line. It's originally from ER and the real line is " _Like a snuffleapugus on Benadryl_." I've always liked it, so I put it in one of my stories.

I promise that this is going somewhere. Stay tuned for another chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks so much again for your interest and feedback. Here's another update.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 **Saturday - 9:32 AM**

Callie made her way downstairs to the kitchen where Stef was reading the paper and Lena was making toast.

"Morning, Callie. How'd you sleep?" Lena asked, setting a plate down in front of her.

"Fine," Callie answered as she poured herself some orange juice and took a bite of toast. The medicine had helped her sleep through the night.

"How do you feel?" Stef wondered this time.

"A little better, I think."

"Really?" Stef was skeptical; her daughter didn't look or sound any better to her.

" _Really_. I can work," Callie insisted as she continued to eat.

Stef threw her a disbelieving look and returned her attention to the sports section.

" _Heht'shuh!_ "

"Here we go," Stef sighed as she watched her daughter be overcome by a pair of sneezes.

" _Heh'shuh! ... 'SHUH!_ "

Lena blessed her and Stef didn't say a word as she held out the box of Kleenex for Callie who pulled two and blew her nose for the hundredth time since yesterday. "This is what I'm talking about. I don't think she should go today, Lena. I think she should stay home and rest."

"I have to go to work," she protested.

"Callie, you have _years_ of employment ahead of you where you'll have to suck it up, that I can guarantee," Stef explained to her. "They'll survive without you."

"I can't miss today. We're already shorthanded as it is. Miranda's on vacation and Nick's grandma's funeral is going on right now. Josh is working a double or else we'd be even worse off." She coughed as she mentioned her boss who owned and managed the restaurant.

"There's absolutely no one who can take your hours? Not one person?" Lena inquired, not that she thought Callie was lying, but her perpetuation of presenteeism would be a last resort.

Callie sent texts to Brittany, Joe, and Evan and waited for their responses. "Brittany's in Torrance visiting her brother, Joe just worked a double yesterday and is my replacement at 6, and Evan doesn't like me and flat-out said 'no.'" She didn't blame them for not choosing to work if they didn't have to.

"Where does this Evan live...?"

"Stef," Lena pleaded; there was no reason to go hunt the kid down.

She sighed again and looked at Lena, then back to Callie. "You may go if you _promise_ to take it easy. Let Josh know if you need a break."

"Okay, I will."

Callie showered and got ready for work, with Stef dropping her off at Not a Burger Stand fifteen minutes early. She went to the entrance and walked in until she heard Stef drive away, then left the shack and walked two blocks down the street to Walgreens, buying DayQuil and nasal spray to aid her in getting through her shift. She went back to work, took the pills, and used the spray before going to find Josh and clocking in.

About an hour later, Callie was clearing off a table when Daphne walked up to her. "What are you doing here? You look like hell."

"Gee, thanks. And here I thought I looked like a million bucks when I woke up this morning." Callie's response dripped with sarcasm as she put a stack of plastic baskets and garbage into a tub.

"I'm serious."

Callie sighed. "We both know this place can't afford to lose anyone else today."

"How'd you get your moms on board?"

"I told them what was going on and sort of forced their hand," Callie explained, coughing a little. "Saying 'no' wasn't an option."

Daphne smiled and shook her head, she _would_ do that. "Girl, if I were you, I'd be home in my sweats watching bad reality TV."

Callie laughed. "Wyatt basically said the same thing yesterday."

"Well, maybe you should listen to us smart people and quit spreading your germs everywhere."

"Daphne, chill. It's a cold. _'Chew!_ " She wiped her nose with a napkin.

" _Bless you_ ," Daphne offered in a clear 'you know I'm right' tone.

Callie narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" she questioned innocently.

"Like I have the plague or something."

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest with a stern stare to match. "As far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't be here, cold or plague."

"My God, you're like Stef's twin," Callie groaned, annoyed. "The DayQuil I took has kicked in, I'm fine." She threw away the trash and returned the baskets to the kitchen to be reused.

"Good. 'Cause I'm gonna be riding your ass _all day long_."

Callie just laughed as she took an order from the kitchen to a waiting customer.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Saturday - 4:03 PM**

Callie was bussing tables when she heard her name. "Callie, can you come here for a second?"

She stopped sanitizing the tabletop to find Josh next to her. "Sure." She followed him to the back near his office.

"I want you to clock out."

"What? Josh, it's only four—"

"Thank you, but I can tell time and I know when your shift ends. Nothing personal, but you look like crap and I'm sure you feel like crap. Go home."

"I—"

He cut her off. "That wasn't a suggestion. You're sick and I can't have that around everybody, not to mention the food. Call your moms to come get you. Daphne, can you cover for her until Joe gets here?"

"Sure, no problem," she said, flashing Callie a sympathetic look, wordlessly expressing that she didn't blow the whistle on her.

"I tried to get Brittany, Joe, or Evan to take my hours, but they wouldn't." She looked down at her feet, embarrassed.

Josh reminded himself that she was just a teenager. "I believe you," he exhaled, turning his no-nonsense tone down a notch. "Go home. I'll see you on Monday... _maybe_."

Callie looked at both of them and went to the back of house as she sighed, frustrated. She removed her apron and swiped her time card, placing it in its designated slot before getting her things and going outside to call Stef.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, Cal? Are you alright?"

"Josh is sending me home. Come pick me up?"

"Okay, I'll get my shoes on and be there in ten."

Callie hung up and waited for Stef's black SUV to appear before climbing in the front passenger seat.

Stef took one look at her daughter and knew Josh was absolutely correct in his decision. Callie was completely worn out. "Who's covering for you?"

"Daphne, until Joe comes in." The silence between them hung heavily in the air. Callie let herself relax against the headrest, closing her eyes. "I _really_ don't need an 'I told you so' lecture right now, Mom," she groaned slightly.

"Wasn't gonna give one," Stef replied as she turned on to the street to drive home.

Once they stepped inside, Callie immediately headed for the stairs. "I'm goin' t'bed," she grumbled low, coughing. She made quick work of changing clothes and practically collapsed onto her mattress, hugging a pillow and closing her eyes.

About an hour later, Stef went to see if Callie wanted to eat dinner. She walked in the room and almost tripped over Callie's bag that was in the way. She picked it up and some objects fell out of it and on to the carpet. She gathered them: an open box of DayQuil caplets, a bottle of nasal spray, and a Walgreens receipt. She studied the slip of paper and saw that they were purchased almost immediately after she dropped Callie off at work that morning. Stef looked at her daughter's sleeping figure and decided to leave her be for now, rejoining everyone else at the kitchen table.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Dun, dun, dun!_ Drama! Haha. Stick around for more...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I just want to address this review from **AZ** (guest account) really quickly:

 _Just wanted to tell you that I love your fanfics, they are honestly some of my absolute fave in the Fosters fandom. Keep up the fantastic work! :)_

OMG, I am so incredibly flattered by this comment. Wow! Thank you SO much! I'm honored when people favorite my work or say things like this. I feel like there are so many "better" authors and "better" stories around here, but everyone has their strengths and we all just write what we write for our own enjoyment and I love sharing my work with everyone. Please, don't be afraid to send me more of your thoughts in the future and I'm happy that you're enjoying my stories.

 _[][][][][][]_

Anyway...here is the last chapter. Yep, this is just a short piece.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Saturday - 6:38 PM**

Callie woke up from her nap, feeling the full effects of her illness as the medicine had now completely worn off. She grabbed a Kleenex and decided to take some more to try to enjoy what remained of her Saturday. Upon noticing that her bag was lying against her nightstand which was not where she left it last, she rooted through it, searching every bit and realized that both the DayQuil and spray were missing. Thinking that they fell out while she was in Stef's car, she left her room and went downstairs to the front door, turning the knob.

"Where are you going?"

Callie was startled, not expecting to hear her mom's voice. She turned around to face her. "I thought I left something in your car." Her nerves were unmistakable and her raspy voice only made them more obvious.

"These?" Stef picked up two objects that were sitting on the edge of the stairs near the railing.

Callie tried to her best not to react to what her mom was holding: the orange box and white bottle that she had been looking for.

"I found these in your bag," Stef began, not missing the split-second flash of recognition that crossed Callie's face.

"You went through my stuff?" Callie shrieked in disbelief.

Stef mentally steadied herself as she heard Callie's defensive tone, attempting to keep her own voice even. "No, I did not. I moved it out of my way and these fell out, along with the receipt."

"You couldn't just put them back? You have to investigate everything?"

Stef's plan of staying calm was quickly forced out the window. "The fact that you were hiding these just proves me right."

"Proves what?" she spit back, still defiant.

"That you were too sick to go to work. I should've put my foot down this morning instead of taking you at your word."

Stef's admittance of distrust stung Callie, which only made her more furious. "I didn't lie! Everything I said was true! Ask Josh, Daphne, or anyone who was there today! If I wasn't there for the lunch rush, they would've been screwed!"

"That you'd pace yourself? That you were 'a little better?' Having to rely on this stuff to be able to work is far from that, Callie!"

"I can't help that it gets busy! I can't just take a break whenever I want!"

Stef's jaw was set. "Then, it's my mistake for thinking you could handle it, isn't it?"

Lena entered the foyer from the kitchen upon hearing the commotion. "What's going on?" She was promptly ignored.

"Are you being serious right now?" Callie scoffed. "You're mad over some fucking cold medicine? Jesus Christ." She paused to cough and couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous the situation was.

" _Watch your mouth_ ," Stef growled sharply, her hazel eyes piercing as her last thread of patience frayed away.

"Fine. You can keep the stupid box. I don't need it," Callie insisted stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Stef mimicked her daughter's stance. "Really? What changed from two minutes ago or this morning, for that matter?"

Instead of answering, Callie made a move to go back to her room.

"Callie, if you take one more step, you're grounded," she warned.

"Well, I guess some things just can't be helped," she sighed lightly as she walked past Stef and jogged up the stairs.

"And if you think you're going to school on Monday, you're sorely mistaken!" Stef yelled after her.

"Good! I don't really care!" Callie responded loudly before slamming her door closed.

Shocked, Lena looked from upstairs to Stef. "What was that about?"

"Callie had these in her bag. She bought them after I dropped her off."

"DayQuil and nasal spray?"

"Apparently, she's not as 'better' as she wanted us to believe."

"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit, honey?"

"Our daughter just yelled and swore at me and _I'm_ the one who overreacted?" She shook her head. "Unbelievable."

"You couldn't just talk to her? You had to go all 'police mom' on her instead?"

"She's the one who immediately got defensive. I was only trying to get to the bottom of it."

"And I see how well that worked," Lena remarked, sarcastic.

"You know what? I can't..." Stef ran her fingers through her hair and went to the backyard.

Lena sighed heavily and left things alone for now, knowing that Callie and Stef needed time to cool down.

Mariana returned home from Lexi's not long after the fight. She was lying vertically across her bed on her stomach, hands under her chin.

"So, I hear you're grounded."

"So, what?" Callie groused, rolling over to face her sister.

"You're now officially an Adams Foster kid if Moms dish out a _r_ _eal_ punishment."

"Yay, I feel so loved," she cheered sarcastically.

"What'd you do, anyway?"

"Talked back and swore at Mom."

" _Ooh_ , that'll do it. They can handle sass, but not swearing," Mariana advised her knowingly.

Callie sighed. "So I've learned."

"Keep that in your memory bank and withdraw it the next time you even _think_ of entertaining the idea of doing it again."

"Thank you, Wise One," Callie quipped, her wit still intact.

Mariana chuckled. "We've all had to learn this lesson at some point."

Callie's interest was piqued by that statement. "When did you?"

"One time, I was mad at Mama and said that she didn't have to be such a bitch. I don't even remember why."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Not one of my prouder moments."

Callie rotated to stare at the ceiling. " _Heh'chuh! ... Hehshuh!_ "

"Bless you."

"Thanks." Callie reached for the last tissue in the box and used it. "Crap. I gotta go find more." She stood up and went downstairs to the kitchen, spying another mostly full box of Kleenex on the counter. She soon found it useful as a sneeze sneaked up on her. " _HEHshuh!_ "

Callie took the box back to her room, coughing as she went. She didn't realize that Stef was in the backyard and saw her come down, racking her brain to figure out why her daughter reacted like she did.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Saturday - 9:26 PM**

Callie was ready to call it another early night, so she knocked lightly on her moms' door; she heard whispering on the other side.

"Come in." It was Lena who spoke.

She opened the door but stayed in the threshold, ignoring Stef completely. "I just came to get some meds. I'm going to sleep."

"If you don't need DayQuil, then you don't need the nighttime version, either." Stef's eyes held a hint of challenge in them, almost daring Callie to start another fight.

On the contrary, Callie gave her the dirtiest, spiteful look that she could muster and left, her feet hitting the stairs and foyer, closing the front door behind her.

" _What is your problem?_ " Lena asked her wife, simmering with anger.

"It's called tough love, Lena. There's something she's not telling us, I can feel it."

"Yeah? Well, now our daughter's run off into the night, sick, barefoot, with no jacket."

"She couldn't have gone far. I'll—"

" _No_. You've done enough. _I'll_ go find her." Lena put on slippers and went outside, surprised to see Callie sitting on the porch's front steps, her knees pulled up to her chest. "Hey," she greeted her softly, not wanting to startle her.

Callie was almost relieved to hear Lena's voice, but didn't turn around; she had hoped that Stef wouldn't be the one to come after her.

Lena took a seat next to her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm sorry I took off," she apologized in a low voice. "Especially since I'm grounded and all."

"Technically, you didn't leave the house," Lena lightly pointed out as she gestured to what they were sitting on.

While that was true, she still broke a cardinal rule twice in one night: _don't walk away_.

"I wish Mom wouldn't get so mad. It just makes me angrier," Callie mumbled, looking up at her.

"I know. Your mom...she gets mad because she cares, almost _too_ much, sometimes."

Callie frowned, eyeing the steps beneath her feet. "I'm sure she hates me now. I'd hate me, too."

It hurt Lena to know that's where her daughter's head went; the teen still had a lot of healing ahead of her as she reconciled with how she was affected by her time in foster care. "No, Callie. Mom doesn't hate you. I don't think she's very happy with you, but she doesn't hate you. You get that thought out of your head right now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I promise," Lena assured her. "There's nothing you could ever do that would make us hate you."

"I was awful. I didn't mean to get so angry, I just...she backed me into a corner, almost literally," Callie attempted to explain.

Lena sighed, understanding where she was coming from. "I know. But that's no reason to talk to one of us that way. Mom's just worried about you. I am, too."

"I'm fine," Callie asserted which was for naught as she turned away to cough into a fist, with Lena reaching to rub her left arm soothingly. She shivered in spite of herself.

"It's chilly out here. How about we go in and I'll make you something hot to drink? Come on." Lena stood and Callie followed suit, stepping down into the living room and grabbing the throw blanket.

"Can I have hot chocolate?" she asked, sounding much younger than sixteen in that moment. The fact that her moms _wanted_ to take care of her was still an adjustment that she was working through.

"Sure. I'll just be a minute, gonna make it from scratch. No powdered mixes around here." Lena put her hand on Callie's knee and went to the kitchen.

Callie turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, leaving on an episode of _The Golden Girls_ , almost like greeting an old friend. She used to watch it with Colleen all the time; they'd share a big bowl of popcorn and recite the lines to each other. She smiled slightly at the happy memory; one of the few she had left it seemed, before the accident.

A sneezing fit broke her from her thoughts and with no tissues around, she stifled them into her hand, causing her to cough. She heard someone coming down the stairs and didn't need a psychic to tell her that it was Stef.

Neither of them said a word as the blonde sat down, placing a box of Kleenex between them as a sort of peace offering. Callie didn't move as it was pushed closer toward her.

After a beat, she pulled one and wiped her nose, sniffling. She glanced at her mom for a moment and back to the screen, though not really watching it. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. For raising my voice," Stef replied quietly. "I shouldn't have allowed things to escalate like they did. I'm the adult and I should've stayed calm."

"I shouldn't have yelled...or swore. Or walked away, twice."

Stef turned off the TV. "What's going on?"

Callie went silent again, biting her lip with a quick rub of her nose, the latter betraying her stress.

"C'mon, love. Talk to me." Stef shifted, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder, smoothing the skin with her thumb.

"It's like you said: I shouldn't have gone to work, but I didn't want you guys to think I couldn't handle it. Stupid cold," she grumbled.

"It's a rough one, huh?"

"I hate being sick. Makes me feel weak," Callie confessed in the same tone, looking away.

Stef chuckled.

"What?"

"You and I are so much alike. We think we have to be the strong ones, shoulder the load all the time. And when we can't or when we can't do it as well as we want to, our stubbornness rears its ugly head to overrule our common sense. Sound familiar?" She nudged Callie's foot with her own.

"I didn't mean to hide anything. I just...didn't wanna let anyone down. You or work. I guess it didn't matter, I got sent home anyway." She felt ashamed for what she'd done and how she'd acted. Being sick or angry wasn't an excuse, in her book.

Stef pressed her lips to Callie's hair. "Josh did the right thing."

"I know. Daphne only tried to reason with me before that."

"She's a good friend."

Callie smiled. "Yeah, she is." She would talk to Daphne later and apologize for being a jerk.

Lena walked in from the kitchen, carrying a trio of mugs and a bag of mini marshmallows, passing them out, and then sitting on Callie's left, so she was in the middle.

"I'm sorry. I should have listened to you and stayed home."

"You know that it's our job to keep you safe _and_ healthy. Trust that we know what's best for you so this doesn't happen again. There will be no room for argument next time," Lena stated with finality.

Callie nodded in understanding. "Am I still grounded?" she wondered, looking at her moms.

"Yes, you are, young lady. You're not getting off that easy. You were disrespectful and you do not use that language with us or anyone else, understood?"

Lena agreed with that. "Never again, Callie," she told her sternly.

"I promise," Callie vowed, sincere.

"You're not going anywhere until we give the okay. That includes guitar lessons, school, and work," Stef added. "This seems to be a nasty bug."

Callie nodded again, knowing she had no business being in crowds until this cold blew over, or at least until a tissue box wasn't her constant companion.

"Now, let's see about these marshmallows." Stef picked up the bag. "How many do you want? One? Two?" She plunked them in Callie's mug.

"More than that," Callie whined.

Stef took one and tossed it in her mouth, then threw another at Callie.

"Stef, don't make a mess," Lena sighed. "I swear, it's like I have a sixth child."

Stef winked at Callie, who poured them in Lena's mug so that it was overflowing with the pillowy morsels that spilled onto the floor.

Callie grinned. "There's yours, Mama. Enjoy."

Lena took a drink and laughed as the marshmallows fell out. She picked up some and placed them in Callie's. "Five-second rule."

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** I really liked writing this story, particularly the Callie/Daphne stuff and this chapter. I actually had a lot of fun writing the fight between Stef and Callie since we haven't seen that at all from her in the show (yet, understandably). It was fun to write that back and forth between them. The Callie/Mariana scene was fun, too. I can picture something like that happening in the show. I love their relationship and seeing how close they've become since the pilot. I enjoyed the Lena/Callie stuff, too since articulating that dynamic was still really new for me when I wrote it. I'm really proud of that scene.

Originally, I continued after the end of this chapter, but it didn't feel right; I felt like I was forcing it and sometimes, a story lets you know when it's done. So, this is where it ended. However, I am using some of what's left over for another project, so it will not be lost and forgotten.

Also, I originally wrote the end where Callie got out of being in trouble, but that felt too easy and like she was being rewarded for acting out, so I flipped it. Ah, the joys of having complete creative control.

As always, a huge thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, and enjoyed. I've got more writings to share and I hope you all will be on the look out for them. Cheers.


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